


Cleithrophobia

by MortalRemedy



Series: InquisiBull [5]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: Ashtok flips between vhenan and vhenas as endearment terms, Ashtok is terrified of being trapped/trapped underground, Cleithrophobia, Comfort, Fear of being trapped, M/M, Panic Attacks, Renn(mentioned), tw: fear of being trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29489151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MortalRemedy/pseuds/MortalRemedy
Summary: While making their descent into The Deep Roads to locate the source of the earthquakes Ashtok spirals into a panic attack when a nasty quake sends rubble falling around them.
Relationships: The Iron Bull/Male Lavellan (Dragon Age)
Series: InquisiBull [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2141919
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Cleithrophobia

**Author's Note:**

> I promise not everything I write with Ashtok makes him an emotional mess lmao

Ashtok flinched, arms wrapping around himself and whimpering as the cavern around them quaked. Fuck, _fuck_ he hated this. He knew the moment he stepped foot on that descending platform that he would have a hard time down here. He hated caverns and tunnels enough as it was, but this?

Fuck, he couldn’t breathe, and the air tasting dead and stale didn’t help matters. All it managed to do was leave him with a sick, nauseating churning in his gut. His ears flattened when the earthquake continued, his eyes knit tightly shut when rubble fell around him. He was going to die here. He was going to die here in The Deep Roads, trapped in an unstable room or tunnel or under rocks-

“Hey. Ashtok, breathe,” came a voice and it took everything in him to even begin registering the words, let alone who spoke them. “Ash... Kadan,” and the simple endearment that meant the world to him helped connect the voice. A pointed ear flicked in recognition and it took everything to focus on his lover as the cavern rumbled around them angrily. “Ash, focus on me.”

And he did, nearly collapsing in The Iron Bull’s strong hold as his body trembled, from fear or the quake even he couldn’t tell. He buried his face against his lover’s chest, delicate fingers gripping at the leather strap around Bull’s chest as he clung to the qunari.

“I’m here. You’re not alone. Breathe, kadan,” and he did, and before long Ashtok had managed to take in a few consistent slow breaths as he managed his breathing. “We’re in this together till the end and that end sure as fuck won’t be in some crappy ass cave.”

“Vhenan,” Ashtok managed to weakly utter and Bull’s grip tightened in response.

“Trust me, if you and I are going out, Ash, you best believe it’s against a dragon or four.” Ashtok managed a choked laugh as Bull continued. “Which reminds me, we still have that pretty son of a bitch in Storm Coast we need to take out, Cullen said she’s fucking with our men. Why don’t we do that after we get out of here?”

Ashtok’s breath hitched, the memory of them stumbling upon a dragon and giant fighting coming to his mind’s eye, wisping him away from the dank caverns they were in and to the Storm Coast. He could almost smell the salt of the ocean. “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot,” he blinked slowly as the memory faded, and his ears flicked once more as he caught Renn whispering to Solas. It was when he heard his title in their muttering that he realized the quake had passed, and he slumped against his lover’s chest.

“You good, Ash?”

“Yeah, thank you, vhenas,” Ashtok murmured softly, humming contently as Bull rubbed a hand against his back and arched into his lover.  
  
“Good. I’ll be right here when another goes off. I will never leave your side, kadan.”

“Ar lath ma, Vhenan.”


End file.
